The Argentine Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) won the ninth motorcycle stage of the 45th edition of the Dakar all-terrain rally on Tuesday, while the Frenchman Sébastien Loeb (BRX) won in cars, in what was his 19th victory in races at foot. .
On his return to competition after a rest day, Benavides spent 03:18.44 hours completing the 358-kilometre timed special between Riyadh and Haradh, in Saudi Arabia, a country that hosts the entire race for the fourth consecutive year.
Australian Toby Price (KTM) was second fastest, 1.02 minutes behind the Argentine, with overall leader American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) third, 2.57 minutes behind.
Benavides thus became the first rider to score points twice in this year’s edition, in the motorcycling competition, after having already won the sixth stage.
The Luso-German Sebastian Bühler (Hero) was 15th, with 16.55 minutes, with Mário Patrão (KTM) in 35th, with 39.48 minutes.
Overall Howes held the lead but was only three seconds behind Toby Price. Argentine Kevin Benavides (KTM), brother of today’s stage winner, is third, with 5.09 minutes. Bühler is 25th, already at 05:03.55, while Mário Patrão is 36th, more than seven hours behind the leader.
The day was also marked by another crash for Spanish Joan Barreda (Honda), eighth overall, who was taken by helicopter to a hospital due to back pain.
In cars, Loeb won for the 19th time in his Dakar career, despite a 2.10-minute penalty for speeding, leaving Lithuanian Vaidotas Zala (Toyota), navigated by Portuguese Paulo Fiúza, in second position , 57 seconds.
The French Guerlain Chicherit (BRX) closed the podium at 02.08 minutes from his compatriot and leader of the tail.
The Spanish Carlos Sainz (Audi), the victim of a rollover at kilometer six of the special, complained of back pain and even boarded the organization’s medical helicopter to be treated at the hospital.
However, he asked to return to the track, staying next to the vehicle to wait for the assistance truck to arrive, to try to repair the Audi and resume the race.
Sainz was in 100th place at the start of this stage, after the time lost and the penalty suffered in the sixth stage, after another skid.
In general, the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), who was eighth today, maintains control of the cars, now weaker because the South African Henk Lategan (Toyota), who was second, suffered mechanical problems and arrived late .
Thus, the Brazilian Lucas Moraes (Toyota) rose to second place, with 1:21.57 hours, while Loeb entered the podium places, being third, with 1:43.08 hours.
On Tuesday, the riders face the 10th stage, between Haradh and Shaybah, with 113 timed kilometers in the Empty Quarter desert.
Source: TSF
